Enter to Win 50% off an All Inclusive Stay for 2

Painting the Wild

March 01, 2018

Maybe it's because we're remote, it might be because we're thrifty, and it might just be because the best pair of hands for a project are often owner's hands, but we here at Latigo are used to wearing whatever hat is required for the task at hand. If there's an issue with the pipes, Randy's down in the drywall with a wrench; if a bed skirt won't hang right, Lisa sews it straight; saddle repair has Spencer's name all over it; when Amanda isn't our sommelier, she's our social media maven; and then there's me.

Not only do I apply artistic skill to our marketing efforts, and my writing proficiency to this blog, I have been called upon during several occasions to create original art for the Latigo guest cabins. Growing up here, in one of the most scenic and wild places in Colorado, my head is full of golden leaves, flowing manes, and sun-kissed wildflowers. It wasn't hard for me to put brush to paper, then, and let some of those images out.

There is something about the flora and fauna of the Rocky Mountains which speaks to being captured by art, I think. A wild purity – pristine ferocity. I feel like there is too much for me to capture, though, so I cannot bear to spend longer than about an hour on each piece.

I've tried my hand at birds, beasts, and flowers, and I love them all. Eight are currently hanging in cabins around the ranch. And now, another eight are hanging in the Gore Range Artisan's Gallery down in Kremmling.

I started out making art because I knew, one day, I would be good enough to use it to help the ranch. Sometimes I pinch myself when I realize just how useful it is to put on a painter's cap and do a job for Latigo.